With deep regret we wish to let visitors to this web site know that our colleague Rafe Sagarin has died and while we are keeping the web site in his memory it is no longer being updated. If you have any questions please contact : ienv-environment@email.arizona.edu

Symbiotic

All natural organisms eventually reach the limits of their adaptable capacities. When they do, they need to join with another organism to expand their adaptability. In fact, in nature, no organism acts on its own. Symbiotic partnerships occur in every environment on Earth and between every species on Earth. Often these partnerships have emerged out of previously hostile relationships, and often the type of organisms that engage in symbiosis are surprising. Consider that there are now successful symbioses between Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians. These relationships, now codified in the Middle East Consortium for Infectious Disease Surveillance, are built around efforts to detect, respond to and reduce the effects of infectious disease no matter what side of whichever historical boundaries the outbreaks occur. These relationships were not ordered into being by Prime Ministers or Spiritual Leaders or a UN resolution, but created by health practitioners who recognized that biological needs trump political ideology. Nor have the parties to these relationships been tempted to pour resources into “optimal” solutions, such as establishing peace in the Middle East. By focusing on the immediate challenges they mutually share, even avowed enemies can find common ground.